A wearable computer is an electronic device that is arranged to be worn by a person. These devices are also called body-borne computers. They may comprise an electronic device that may include one or more of a computer, computer controllers or input devices, an information receiving and/or sending device, sensors, microphones, speakers, Bluetooth capability, and information displays. Other functional features may be included. The electronic device may also include a band that is connected to the electronic device and which can secures the electronic device to a part of a person's body, typically the part of the forearm near the wrist. The band can be independent and be designed to secure the electronic device to the body over or under the person's clothing, or the band may cooperate or be integrated into the clothing that a person wears.
Watch bands are commonly known and used. In that art, a watch “band” is a generic term for anything that holds a watch onto the forearm of a person, usually near to the person's wrist. A “bracelet” is a metal-link watch band, or a solid band of metal that somehow pivots to open; it is similar to a jewelry bracelet and is typically opened and closed by a clasp. A “strap” is a watch band made of some non-metal material, such as leather, plastic, cloth, rubber, or the like. In this application, I use the term “band” for a something that holds a wearable computer in the same sense that it is used for a watch band. In this application, a “band” may be a unitary device that connects to and holds a wearable computer on a person's body (which usually includes a spring means for expanding the band to allow it to fit over the person's hand), or it may denote plural band pieces that are designed to connect to a wearable computer and to removably connect to one another to form a unified band that can secure the wearable computer to a part of the person's body. A band is typically relatively thin. It may be narrow but it needs to be sufficiently wide to comfortably and securely hold the wearable computer on the body of the person. The band may be adjustable in length to accommodate different sizes of a body part to which it will be connected.
In this application, the term “wearable computer” means any electronic device that receives input and/or control signals, processes information, and provides an output, and which can be conveniently worn on the body of a person by means of a band that removably attaches the electronic device to a part of the person's body. The electronic device and the attachment device would not be unitary. A smart watch would be considered one type of wearable computer.
One type of wearable computer that is popular now is the so-called “smart watch”. The smart watch is typically much more than just a “watch”. It typically includes a fully functioning computer with input controls, at least one sensor, and a display screen. The smart watch may include a wireless communication function that enables the computer to access the internet and/or wireless networks. It may have other functional features. The computer of the smart watch may utilize Android®, Apple®, or other software operating systems. The smart watch is typically secured to the forearm of a person by a band, in the same manner as wristwatches have been for many years.
Wearable computers, such as the Apple Watch, the Pebble, or the WIMM One are typically secured to the user's forearm with one or more bands. The band may be relatively cheap and utilitarian, or it may be relatively expensive and decorative. The band may be designed to be fashionable in color, material, style, appearance, or any other factor. Since fashion changes and since people may want to coordinate the appearances of all the elements they wear, people may desire to purchase multiple different bands for their wearable computer.
The Apple Watch has foreseen this desire and has arranged its device so that bands can be easily connected and disconnected from the Apple Watch. The two ends of the unified band are each connected to a bar that can slide into a cooperating groove in the body of the Apple Watch to attach the strap end to the body. When the bar is in the proper position in the cooperating groove, a spring-loaded retractable cam engages with a cooperating hole in the groove of the watch body to secure the bar in the groove to the watch body and prevent it from sliding out of the groove until the user releases it. When the user wants to remove the band, the user can cause a button on the body of the watch to be depressed which depresses the spring-loaded cam into the bar, and enables the bar to slide out of the groove in the body of the Apple Watch. The user would push against either the watch or the band's bar or both to slide the bar into or out of the groove in the watch body as desired. This system is known and currently being sold for Apple Watch products.
Docking stations and charging stations are known in the art. For example, the NuDock™ power lamp station and the HEDock smartwatch dock each provide a docking and charging station for an Apple Watch. Similar products are made by Navitech and other companies. These stations provide docking for a single smartwatch. While the smartwatch can be removed from its associated strap while on the docking station, there is no means for holding either the strap or the watch on the station if the watch is removed from the strap.